Isabel Hawley has spent the offseason preparing for her final high school golf season with a simple goal in mind: trust the work she has put in.
After a successful junior season that included an individual league championship, a third-place finish at sub-state and a 15th-place finish at state, Hawley is ready to make the most of her final season with the Andover Trojans.
“This season I’m most excited to round out my high school career with my teammates and coaches,” Hawley said. “Andover golf has given me such a supportive and fun community, I can’t wait to make some of my last memories with them.”
Hawley spent much of the offseason competing in tournaments and continuing to develop her game. She had weekly lessons with her swing coach, Doug Atherly, while also working out and playing in the heat to prepare for the conditions she will encounter during the season.
She also placed an emphasis on endurance by competing in 36-hole tournaments and adding swing-speed-focused movements to her gym routine.
“I really focused on playing in 36 hole tournaments, so lots of training to keep my endurance up,” Hawley said. “As well as endurance, I implemented more swing speed focused movements in the gym.”
Hawley competed in South Central PGA and Central Links tournaments throughout Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, giving her plenty of opportunities to test herself against strong competition.
As she enters the season, Hawley has identified one particular area where she wants to take another step forward: her short game.
Her offseason practice has shifted away from spending most of her time on the range and toward putting and chipping around the green.
“One area I want to improve on this season is my short game around the green,” Hawley said. “This has shifted my personal practice to be more putting and chipping focused rather than the range.”
Hawley has dedicated specific practice days to her short game, working to develop the feel and consistency she needs on the course. She has also found ways to make those sessions more enjoyable.
“Making up and learning productive games also helps to take the mundane feel of putting and chipping,” she said.
That work is part of a larger goal for Hawley: becoming more confident in the game she has built through years of practice.
She wants to lower her season scoring average while trusting the preparation she has put in before each round.
“A few goals I have for this season is to trust the time I put into my practice and lower my season average,” Hawley said. “Being able to be confident in myself has already positively affected my scores, so I’m excited to keep a good mindset going into this season.”
Hawley’s confidence is backed by a strong junior campaign.
She finished last season with an 82.4 scoring average, won the league championship individually, placed third at sub-state and finished 15th at state. She also recorded two personal-best rounds, shooting a 75 before lowering that mark to a 71.
And in one of the highlights of her junior season, Hawley recorded her first hole-in-one.
Now she hopes to build on that success while helping Andover compete for another strong postseason finish.
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